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COMMISSIONER CONCERNED ABOUT THE PARDON OF AZERBAIJANI ARMY OFFICER CONVICTED OF MURDER
NEWS.AM
September 04, 2012 | 17:25
STRASBOURG. - Council of Europe (CoE)Commissioner for Human Rights
Nils Muižnieks expressed Tuesday his deep concerns about Azerbaijan's
decision to pardon and honor Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army officer
who in 2004 brutally murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan,
CoE official website informs.
"Racist crimes must not go unpunished. Violent offences motivated
by bias, such as racial or inter-ethnic hatred, are a particularly
pernicious form of criminality. Apart from the destructive effects
on the victims and those close to them, they can be devastating to
whole communities and unravel the very fabric of society. States are
under an obligation to apply strongly dissuasive sanctions against
those who have perpetrated bias-motivated crimes."
Moreover, the Commissioner deplored the fact that the convicted
murderer has been glorified and rewarded by Azerbaijan. "It is already
highly regrettable if someone who commits a gruesome murder motivated
by the victim's ethnicity or nationality is treated with a leniency
not displayed towards others convicted of crimes. However, to glorify
and reward such a person flies in the face of all accepted standards
for human rights protection and rule of law. Such glorification of
hate crimes can only send a message that others belonging to the same
ethnic group as the victim, or indeed other members of vulnerable
groups, are 'fair game.' This is an extremely dangerous message,"
Muižnieks stated.
NEWS.AM
September 04, 2012 | 17:25
STRASBOURG. - Council of Europe (CoE)Commissioner for Human Rights
Nils Muižnieks expressed Tuesday his deep concerns about Azerbaijan's
decision to pardon and honor Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani army officer
who in 2004 brutally murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan,
CoE official website informs.
"Racist crimes must not go unpunished. Violent offences motivated
by bias, such as racial or inter-ethnic hatred, are a particularly
pernicious form of criminality. Apart from the destructive effects
on the victims and those close to them, they can be devastating to
whole communities and unravel the very fabric of society. States are
under an obligation to apply strongly dissuasive sanctions against
those who have perpetrated bias-motivated crimes."
Moreover, the Commissioner deplored the fact that the convicted
murderer has been glorified and rewarded by Azerbaijan. "It is already
highly regrettable if someone who commits a gruesome murder motivated
by the victim's ethnicity or nationality is treated with a leniency
not displayed towards others convicted of crimes. However, to glorify
and reward such a person flies in the face of all accepted standards
for human rights protection and rule of law. Such glorification of
hate crimes can only send a message that others belonging to the same
ethnic group as the victim, or indeed other members of vulnerable
groups, are 'fair game.' This is an extremely dangerous message,"
Muižnieks stated.